tags: mountain cow, Baird's tapir, Tapirus bairdii, mammals, streaming video
This streaming video shows you a little bit about the mountain cow .. the tapir. In this case, the Baird's Tapir, Tapirus bairdii, the state animal of Belize, a country in Central America. This animal, which is endangered, is not a cow at all, but is related to horses and rhinoceros [1:47].
There is one mistake on this video. When a person discovers a new species they cannot name it after themselves -- that's a rule.

GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
























Comments
Whilst you can't name a species after yourself, you do get your name after the species name (unless you're the one known only as L.). So, in his book on Trilobites, Richard Fortey explains
Posted by: Bob O'H | May 30, 2008 12:45 PM
Belize is actually in Central America rather than South America. Tapirs live in both places - Baird's tapir in Central America and the lowland and mountain tapir both in South America. It's nice to see another post on tapirs. When more people learn about them and care about them it will help in their conservation. They are endangered.
Sheryl
Posted by: Sheryl Todd | May 30, 2008 1:36 PM
Nice to see Belize recognised :o). Many maps published by South and Central American countries pretend it doesn't exist by not showing it or pretending it is a province of its neighbour Guatemala. This not withstanding the treaty between Guatemala and Great Britain in 1859 about Belize.
Perhaps all those who retire there will help protect its wildlife.
We can but hope as it is on the list of countries I wish to visit as its natural beauty and wildlife is reported to be amazing.
Posted by: Chris' Wills | May 30, 2008 2:11 PM